Contiguous rotation counter



Feb. 7, 1950 L. R. HARPER `coNT1GuoUs RTA'MoN COUNTER 4 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR LEONARD R. HARPER Y BY )uw AGEN - Feb. 7, 1950 L. R. HARPER2,496,585

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coNTIcuous RoTA'rIoN COUNTER Filed June 26, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4THOUSANDS HUNDREDS uNlTs IVENTOR w LEONARD R. HARPER Patented Feb. 7,1950 2,496,585 coN'rrGUoUs ao'rA'rroN COUNTER Leonard R. Harper, WestHempstead, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Cor- N.Y., a corporation of New poration, New York, York Application June 26,1948, Serial No.y 35,391

3 Claims.

This invention relates to counting mechanism, and in particular, todevices for, counting the number of rotations of a rotating shaft. Morespecifically, this invention is concerned with counting apparatuswherein the carry over from y one numerical order to the next higherorder is provided continuously rather than intermittently, as in mostconventional counters `where a lower order upon reaching its highestvalue produces a carry operation to bring about a single count in thenext higher order.

Briefly, the present invention consists of a series of commutator shaftseach of which carries one or more rotating electrical contactscooperating Iwith a closed series of fixed contacts for determiningelectrically the position of the shaft with respect to the fixedcontacts. All of the shafts are geared together so that one revoluion ofa. lower order shaft will produce an angular displacement in the nexthigher order proportional to the system of counting employed. Forexample, where the decimal system is used, as shown in the embodiment ofthe present invention, the commutator shafts are geared together toobtain a ten to one ratio; i. e., one revolution of the units shaftproduces one tenth revolution of the tens" shaft, one revolution of thetens shaft produces one tenth revolution of the hundreds shaft, etcetera.

It is apparent, therefore, that in a device of this.

nature a one tenth revolution of the tens shaft willproduce a onethousandth revolution of the thousands shaft or a one millionthrevolution of the millions commutator shaft.

It is not feasible to utilize a commutator hav- `ing a thousand segmentsor a million segments,

nor is it practicable to advance a moving contact or a brush from onesegment to the next of a commutator so constructed. In the presentinvention these difculties are overcome using conventional commutatorsand an arrangement of cams and brushes carried by each commutator shaft.Normally each commutator shaft, except 'that of the units order, carriestwo brushes, one leading the other,arranged to have the leading 2rotation of the higher order shaft is determined thereby with referenceto the commutator shaft of the next lower order in a manner to bedescribed in detail hereinafter.

The principal object of this invention is, therefore, to provide meansfor electrical "read out" in a multiple commutator counter wherein thevarious orders of counting are represented by fractional rotations ineach of a series of commutator shafts geared successively to one anotherin ratios corresponding to their numerical orders. y

Another object of this invention is to provide means for determining theposition of a rotating shaft ofa series of intergeared shafts byreference to the next lower order of shaft in the series.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdescription and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which ldisclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention andthe best mode, which hasbeen contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partially in section, showing themechanical arrangement of the components of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial diagrammatic view of one of the commutators of thecounter illustrating the rotating and fixed electrical contacts forminga part of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a timing chart showing the relation of the rotating and fixedcontacts in a commutator under certain conditions of operation.

Fig. 4 illustrates diagrammatically the relationship between certain camcontacts forming a part of the electrical circuits of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a timing chart showing the relations between the various camcontacts and commutator brushes involved in the electrical circuits forthree numerical orders of the counter.

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram of the invention illustrating the electricalcircuits .for four numeri- 'cal orders of the counter.

Referring now to Fig. 1 a series of shafts US, TS, HS, and THS aregeared together by the G-8, G-9, Cfr-40, G-I I, and G|2 so that theshafts rotate respectively in ratios of 1:10; i. e., shaft HS rotatesten revolutions for each revolution of shaft THS, shaft TS rotates tenrevolutions for each rotation of shaft HS, and shaft US rotates tenrevolutions for each revolution of shaft TS. Each of the aforementionedshafts carries xed to one end an insulated rotor; i. e.,

3 shaft US has a rotor UR, shaft TS has a rotor TR, shaft HS a rotor HR,and shaft THS a rotor THR. Each of the rotors is provided to carry aPair of contact brushes LB and BL insulated from each other andterminating, as shown in Fig. 1, respectively in the telescopingcontacts CLB and CBL. Each pair of contact brushes LB and BL coacts witha closed series of contact segments SG contained in a commutator blocksurrounding each rotor: commutator block UCM surrounding rotor UR, blockTCM surrounding rotor TR, block HCM surrounding rotor HR, and block THCMsurrounding rotor THR. Each of these blocks also carries a pair ofcontact plates, CCLB which is contacted by the telescoping contact CLB,and CCBL which is contacted by the telescoping contact CBL. Each segmentSG is connected to a terminal CMC in the top of a block, there being tensegments SG and ten terminals CMC equally spaced about each block.

Fig. 3 illustrates in detail the relation of the brushes LB and BL. thecontacts CLB and CBL, and the segments SG. Each of the commutators isidentical; however, the commutator formed by the rotor UR and the blockUCM, together with their brushes, contacts, and segments is onlypartially used since normally no electrical circuits are completedthrough the brush BL and the contact CBL. In all of' the othercommutators, however, both brush LB and brush BL are used to completeelectrical circuits with the segments SG. The size and spacing of thesegments SG and the spacing of the brushes LB and BL with respect to thesegments SG and to each other is an essential feature in the subjectinvention. In Fig. 2 it is to be noted that both brushes LB and BL maycontact the same segment SG at the same time and that the brush LB maybe on one segment SG while the brush BL is on a following segment SGrelative to the direction of rotation of a shaft S which carries a rotorhaving the brushes LB and BL, as shown in Fig. 2.

The novelty attainable with the arrangement of commutators in thesubject invention relative to the brush and segment relationship is bestillustrated diagrammatically by Fig. 3. Let it be assumed that thecommutators represented by the block UCM-rotor UR and the blockTCM-rotor TR represent, respectively, the units order and the tens orderin a decimal counter so that for each complete revolution of the rotorTR, the rotor UR will make ten revolutions following an arrangement ofgearing as in Fig. 1, and a commutator segmentbrush arrangement as inFig. 2. Let it -be assumed, further, that the segments shown as 2, 3,"and 4 (see Fig. 3) represent segments SG in the tens commutator and thatthe arrows LB and BL respectively represent the leading and laggingbrushes of the rotor TR the tens commutator. It is obvious that when therotor UR makes one complete revolution, the brushes LB and BL in thetens" commutator will advance from one position respective to thesegment 2" to a similar position respective to the segment 3, therebeing ten segments equally distributed in the path of the brushes LB andBL in the tens commutator. Referring now to Fig. 3, when the singleactive brush of the units commutator is contacting the 0 segment thebrush LB is on the 3 segment of the tenscommutator and the brush BL ison the 2 segment of the tens commutator. When the brush in the unitsorder is at the 1 segment, the brush LB is on the 3" segment of the"tens" order and the brush BL is between the "2" and the "3 segments ofthe tens order. The brushes LB and BL thereafter advance, as shown inFig. 3. in accordance with the value in the "units" order until theyoccupy a final position upon the segments 3" and "4" of the' .tens"order similar to their initial position on the "2 and 3" segments of thetens order thereby indicating a complete revolution of the units orderbrush through each of its ten values "0" to "9. inclusive.

Returning to Fig. 1 it will be observed that each of the shafts US, TS,and HS carry a plurality of cams. For example, the "units shaft UScarries a high selection cam USC-l coacting with a pair of contacts Hand a low selection cam USC-2 coacting with a pair of contacts L. Thetens shaft TS carries a, high transfer cam 'ITC-i coacting with a pairof contacts H, a low transfer cam 'ITC-2 coacting with a pair ofcontacts L, a high selection cam TSC-l coacting with a pair of contactsH, and a low selection cam TSC-2 coacting with a pair of contacts L. Thehundreds shaft HS carries cams identical with those carried by the tensshaft TS. The thousands shaft THS, being the highest order shown in theembodiment herein, does not carry any cams; however, for higher ordersof commutators above the units order, in a counter of the type hereindisclosed, each order except the last or highest order is provided withfour cams similar to those carried by the shafts TS and HS.

Fig. 4 shows the relative, positions when cam contacts are closed basedupon a complete revolution of the same order commutator. The selectioncams of an order are timed to close their contacts in accordance withthe values represented in that order commutator. For example, when theumts order represents values between 0 and "4." the low selection camcontacts are closed While when the values lie between "5" and "9" in theunits" order the high selection cam contacts are closed in the unitsorder. These cam contacts are timed to be closed to provide an overlapat the 4" and 5" values. Normally the higher selection cam contacts ofone order are connected electrically to the lagging brush of the nexthigher order and the low selection cam contacts are connected to theleading brush of the next higher order. rbi' example with reference toFig. 6, the contacts H of the high selection cam USC-i of the "unitsorder are connected to the lagging brush BL of the tens" order, and

the contacts L of the low selection cam USC-2 of the units" order areconnected to the leading brush LB of the tens order. Those orders whichhave transfer cams, i. e., all orders except the lowest and the highest,have the high transfer cam contacts connected to the lagging brush ofthe same order and the low transfer cam contacts connected to theleading brush of the same order. For example, the contacts H of the hightransfer cam 'ITC--I are connected to the lagging brush BL of the tensorder, and the contacts L of the low transfer cam TTC-2 are connected tothe leading brush LB of the tens order.

Fig. 6 illustrates the electrical circuits necessary for a countercapable of counting to a total of 9999, there being four commutators aspreviously described in Fig. 1, each having ten counting positions l0"through "9" represented by ten segments SG, each of these being providedwith an electrical terminal CMC. Relay coils UM are connected from eachterminal CMC in the units" lo order commutator to a common line B,similar coils TM are connected from each terminal CMC in the "tens orderto the line B, coils HM being similarly arranged in the hundreds orders,and coils THM in the thousands order. In the operation of the counter,described later herein, circuits are completed from the line B, via thebattery V, the key switch- K, line A, and the various cam contacts tothe brushes LB'and BL which make contact with segments SG in each of thecommutators to energize coils UM, TM, HM, and THM in accordance with thetotal value in the counter. The aforesaid coils mayoperaterelay contactsto control electrical indicators orzelectromagnetic punching devicesin'order toobt'ain a recordof the value in the counter according to wellknown methods commonly employed in punched card machines.

, The operation of the; subject invention is best f understood byreference to Figs. l, 5, and 6. Let it be assumed that the shaft US isturned by a device, the number of revolutions of which is to bemeasured, the device being geared to the shaft US so that onerevolutionof the shaft US equals ten revolutions of the aforesaid device; i. e.,each position of the brush LB of the units order upon a segment SGrepresenting a revolution of the device. Let it be further assumed thatall the commutators are set to zero; i. e.,`with their leading andlagging brushes LB and BL'positioned respectively on the O and "9segment SG positions similar to the rst position yshown in Fig. 3, theunits order having its single active brush LB on 0. Suppose that beforeany shaft revolves the switch K is closed. Circuits will then becompleted as follows: (l) Battery V, line -B,."0l position coil UM, 0position contact CMC of units order, brush LB oi units order, line W-Lline A, switch K, to battery V. (2) Battery V, line B, "0 position coilTM, 0 position contact CMC of tens order, brush LB of tens order, lineW-IZ, contact L- (now closed) of low selection cam USC-2, line W-v-l.line A, switch K, to battery V. (3) Battery V, line B, "0 position coilHM, 0 position contact CMC of hundreds order, brush LB of hundredsorder, line W-l3, contact L (now closed) of low selection cam TSC-2,line W-IO, line A, switch K, to battery V. (4) Battery V, line B, "0"position coil THM,0" position contact CMC of "thousands order, brush LBof thousands order, line W-B, contact L (now closed) of low selectioncam HSC-2, line W-I I, line A, switch K, to battery V. Consequently, the0 position relay coils UM, TM, HM, and THM will be energized and thecounter will read a value of 0000. Presume now that the device turningthe shaft US is permitted to rotate until the instant when the brush LBof the tens order rests on the "5 segment SG and the brush BL rests onthe 4" segment SG and the units order brush'LB rests on the 9 segment SGwhereupon the switch K is closed again. Circuits will now beestablished: (1) Battery V, line B, "9 position coil UM, "9 positioncontact CMC of unitsk order, brush LB of units order, line W--I, line A,switch K, to battery V. (2) Battery V1ine B, "4 position coil TM, "4position contact CMC ofthe tens" order, brush BL of "tens order, lineW-B, 'K

contact H (now closed) of high selection cam USC-I, line W|, line A,switch K, to battery V. orders are established as previously.) The valuethereby read from the counter is 0049. Let it now be presumed that theshaft US is rotated one f tenth of a revolution so that the brush LBfalls (Circuits for the hundreds and thousands on the "0 segment SG o!the "units order while the brushes LB and BL of the tens order advanceone hundredth of a revolution remainingtion cam USC-2, line'W-l, line A,switch K, to

battery V. Consequently, the'r value read from the counter is then 0050.In other words, the distinction in the last two examples of countervalues read from the counter is dependent upon the contacts controlledby the cams USC--l and USC-2, i. e., thefhigh selection and lowselection cams.

The action of the hundreds order circuits` for reading values from thecounter are similar` to those of the tens order. While the high and lowselection cams for the tens order are oarried by the "units ordershaft'US, the high and low selection cams for the "hundreds order arecarried by the tens order shaft TS, Consequently, for an advance of oneposition in the units order while the tens" order selection cams advanceone position, the hundreds order selection cams advance only one tenthof a position. It is to be noted that the high selection cam USC-l andlow selection cam USC- 2 are carried by the units order shaft US (seeFig. l), these cams governing the selection of the brushes BL and LB ofthe tens order. Since there is 36 degrees of rotation of the "unitsorder shaft US from the 9 to the 0" position the timing of these cams isnot critical. On the other hand the high selection `cam TSC-i and thelow selection cam TSC-K-Z which govern the selection oi the brushes BLand LB of the hundreds" order are carried by the tens order rshaft TSwherein there is only 3.6 degrees of rotation for a rotation from the 9to the .0 positions of the units yorderkshaft US. Simi- `larly the highselection cam HSC-I ,and the low selection cam HSC- 2 are carried by thehundreds order shaft yHS wherein there is only .36 degree of rotationfor a rotation from the 9 to the 0" positions of the units order shaftUS. It is obvious thereforethat in the higher orders the timing of thehigh and low selection cams f becomes exceedingly critical and tends tobecome uncertain. f

. Uncertain timing resulting in errors in the higher orders of thedevice, particularly when the shafts US and TS rotate at high speeds, iseliminated by providing pairs of cams TTC- i, TTC-2 and HTC-l, HTG-2,previously referred to as high transfer and low transfer cams on theintermediate ("tens" yand hundreds) orders shafts TS and HS, the timingof these cams being shown specifically in Fig. 5 and, in comparison withthe selection cams, in Fig. 4.

When the tens order shaft TS advances from its 9" position to its 0position, i. c., for counter values from to 100, 190 to 200, 290 to 300,etc.` the transfer cams become eiiective in establishing electricalcircuits. Let it be assumed'that the value read fromthe counter is 495so that when switch K is closed circuits are established as follows: (l)Battery V, line B, -4,. position coil HM, 4 position contact CMCIhundreds order, brush BL, hundreds" order,

line W-l, H contacts of high selection cam TSC-I, line W-l0, line A,switch K, to battery V. (2) Battery V, line B, 9 position coil TM, 9position contact CMC tens order, brush BL of "tens order, line W-, highselection cam USC- i, line W--L line A, switch K, to battery V. (3)Battery V, line B, 5 position coil UM, 5" position contact CMC unitsorder, brush LB units order, line W-i, line A, switch K, to battery V.The value read is therefore 495. With reference to Fig. 5, itwill beobserved that at a time slightly later the high transfer cam TTC-I ofthe tens order closes its contacts H thereby providing a parallelcircuit for the hundreds order as follows: Battery V, line B, 4 positioncoil HM, 4 position contact CMC A"hundreds order, brush BL of hundredsorder, line W-S, H contacts of high transfer cam 'ITC-I, line W-l, lineW-8, H contacts of high selection cam USC-i, line W-l, line A, switch K,to battery V. Slightly later as the shafts US, TS, and HS continuerotating, the high selection cam TSC-I opens its contacts H, leaving thehundreds order circuit completely under control of the contacts H of thehigh selection cam USC-l.

Further movement of the shafts US, TS, and HS (as values of 496 and 497are read out via circuits previously described) causes the contacts L ofthe low transfer cam TTC- 2 to close so that a circuit from the brush LBof the hundreds order is completed via line W--i3, L contacts of lowtransfer cam TTC-2, line W-Z, to L contacts of low selection cam USC-2.The cam USC- 2, however, does not close its contacts L until the unitsorder brush LB falls on the position segment SG of the "units ordercommutator.

The conditions for a value of 499 in the counter are similar to thosejust described except that the units order advances its brush LB to the"9 position segment of the units order commutator. However, when theunits order advances its brush LB to the 0 position segment SG of theunits order commutator the contacts H of the high selection cam USC-Iopen and the contacts L of the low selection cam USC-2 close so thatwhen switch K is closed, circuits are established: (l) Battery V, lineB, 5 position coil HM, "5 position contact CMC of hundreds order, brushLB of hundreds order, line W-I3, L contacts of low transfer contact'ITC-2, line W-2, L contacts of low selection cam USC- 2, line W-i, lineA, switch K, to battery V. (2) Battery V, line B, "0 position coil TM, 0position contact CMC of tens order, brush LB of tens order, line W-l2, Lcontacts of low selection cam USC-2, line W-|, line A, switch K, tobattery V. (3) Battery V, line B, 0 position coil UM, 0" positioncontact CMC units order, brush LB of units order, line WI, line A,switch K, to battery V. The value read out thereby is 500.

'I'he establishment of read out circuits for the thousands order issimilar to that of the "hundreds order. For example, for a counter valuei of 4999 the thousands order circuit is from battery V, line B, 4position coil THM, 4 position contact CMC, brush BL of thousands order,line W-T, contacts H of high transfer cam HTC-I, line W-5, line W-9,contacts H of high transfer cam 'ITC-I, line W-3, line W-B, contacts Hof high selection cam USC-4, line W-I, line A, switch K, to battery V.For

a counter value of 15000 the thousands order.

8 circuit is from battery V, line B, "5" position coil THM, 5 positioncontact CMC, brush LB of thousands order, line W-G, contact L of lowtransfer cam HTC- 2, line W-4, contact L of low transfer cam TTC-2, lineW-2, contact L of low selection cam USC- 2, line W-I, line A, switch K,to battery V.

Thus it is apparent that the selection of the leading brushes LB and thelagging brushes BL in any order is always referred back to the lowerorder or orders when the aforesaid brushes are upon adjacent segments ashas been shown. In this manner accuracy of a high degree may be obtainedwith no more than four operating contactsper order of a counter.

It is to be noted that no error results from the overlap of the high andlow selection cams at the 4 and "5 positions (see Fig. 4 and Fig. 5) ifthe brushes LB and BL 0f the next higher order are set equally on 0 and"9" positions respectively, when the next lower order is midway betweenthe "9 and the "0 positions. This is due to the fact that when the nextlower order advances ilve positions, the brushes LB and BL in nexthigher order will advance to make contact with the same segment at whichtime the high and low selection cam contacts of the next lower order areboth closed (see line y-y', Fig. 4), it being immaterial by whichcircuit path the read out circuit is established.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention, as applied to a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention,therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with three interacting commutators each having apredetermined number of equally spaced conductive segments arranged in aclosed series and a pair oi' coordinately rotatable brushes coactingtherewith and spaced apart to alternately make mutual contact with onesaid segment and independent contact with adjacent segments thereof,means for rotating the brushes ofl a rst commutator comprising a.rotatable shaft, a second shaft geared to the first shaft for rotatingthe brushes of a second commutator, a third shaft similarly geared tothe second shaft for rotating the brushes of a third commutator, a pairof circuit breakers on the first shaft, two pairs of circuit breakers onthe second shaft, circuit connections for establishing a circuit to oneof the segments of the third said commutator through one said thirdcommutator brush including one of the first pair of circuit breakers onthe second said shaft and one of the circuit breakers on the first saidshaft, and circuit connectiom for establishing a circuit to the samesegment of the third said commutator through the same third commutatorbrush including one of the second pair of circuit breakers on the secondsaid shaft.

2. The invention as set forth in claim l with a further provision thatthe rotation ratio of the rst shaft to the second shaft and the ratio ofthe second shaft to the third shaft is equal to the number of conductivesegments in each commutator.

3. In a device for counting the revolutions o! medusa l. shaftcomprising a plurality of commutatcrs iaving rotating elements seriatelycoupled to the laid shaft, each of the said elements rotating with'espect to the said shaft in predetermined de- :reasing ratios; a pairof brushes carried by each aid element, the said brushes beingelectrically ndependent of each other and one brush leading ,he other bya predetermined amount; a prede- ',ermined number of contacts spacedequally upon aach said commutator, the contacts being ot a size mdarrangement to be engaged successively by ,he said leading and laggingbrushes either singly )r in combination; and a pair of circuit breakers:arried by the said element of each order, one of ,he said circuitbreakers of each order being timed ;o close a circuit to the laggingbrush of a higher )rder during contact of a lower order commutator 10brush with the rst half of its said contacts, and another of the saidcircuit breakers of each order being timed to close a circuit to theleading brush oi a higher order commutator during contact of 5 the lowerorder commutator brush with the second half oi' its said contacts.

LEONARD R. HARPER.

REFERENCES CI\TED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,192,421 Wallace Mar. 5, 19402,207,744 Larson July 16, 1940 2,429,259 Bugg oct. 21, 1947

